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and sublimity, not unworthy a more refined age. His old manners, his romantic arguments, his wildness of painting, his simplicity and antiquity of expression, transport us into some fairy region, and are all highly pleasing to the imagination. It is true that his uncouth and unfamilar language disgusts and deters many readers; but the principal reason of his being so little known, and so seldom taken in hand, is the convenient opportunity of reading him with pleasure and facility in modern imitations. For when translation, and such imitations from Chaucer may be justly called, at length becomes substituted as the means of attaining a knowledge of any difficult and ancient author, the original not only begins to be neglected and excluded as less easy, but also to be despised as less ornamental and elegant. Thus the public taste becomes imperceptibly vitiated, while the genuine model is superseded, and gradually gives way to the esta

blishment of a more specious, but false, resemblance. Thus, too many readers, happy to find the readiest accommodation for their indolence and illiteracy, think themselves sufficient masters of Homer from Pope's translation and thus, by an indiscreet comparison, Pope's translation is commonly preferred to the Grecian text, in proportion as the former is furnished with more frequent and shining metaphors, more lively descriptions, and in general appears to be more full and florid, more elaborate and various.

SECT. VI.

Of Spenser's Imitations of Ariosto,

THE circumstance of the Red-crosse knight and Una meeting with Archimago disguised like a hermit, who entertains them with a fictitious tale, and afterwards raises two spirits with intent to deceive the Red-crosse knight, seems to be copied from Ariosto. Angelica meets an hypocritical hermit, who raises a false spirit with a design to deceive Sacrapant and Renaldo, and to exasperate them against Orlando, &c.

Che scontro un' eremita, &c *.

C. ii. s. 12.

But Spenser has greatly improved the hint. Archimago is again introduced after the same manner, B. 1. c. 6. s. 34. and B. 2. €. 1. s. 8.

B. i. c. ii.

This illusion effected by Archimago, who discovers a fictitious Una to the Red-crosse knight, engaged in the embraces of a young 'squire, seems to be imitated from the deceptions carried on in the enchanted castle of Atlanta, where many of the guests are imposed upon by false representations of the persons of their friends or mistresses; and more particularly from that passage where Orlando, after having been deluded with the appearance of a counterfeit Angelica, is made to hear her cry out for his assistance as if some ruffian was insulting and ravishing her, &c.

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Dunque in presenzia del mio caro Orlando
Da questo ladro mi sarà rapita?

Piu, &c. &c *.

Helpe now or never helpe; alas! shall I,
In mine Orlando's sight loose my virginitie?

Harrington.

B. i. c. vii. s. xxxiii.

His warlike shield all closely covered was
Ne might of mortal eye be ever seene.

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The same to wight he never would disclose,
But when as monsters huge he would dismay,
Or daunt unequall armies, &c.

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And when he list the prouder lookes subdew
He would them gazing blind, &c.

This is the shield of Atlanta.

C. xii. s. 15.

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